Treehouse at Easthampton Meadow
Easthampton
In 2003, Judy Cockerton, a foster mother and the founder of the Treehouse Foundation, along with Pam Goodman, President of Beacon Communities Development, came to talk to The Life Initiative.
They had the idea to build an innovative residential community that would provide support for families in the process of adopting children from the Commonwealth’s foster care system. Judy had identified a 46-acre site at the foot of Mt. Tom in Easthampton and the team was seeking financing so they could purchase the site. Although the mission of creating a new model for caring for children who had been in foster care was clear, the path to actually building the community was less so.
We knew the overall planning for the site, the input of the town and neighbors via the 40B zoning process, the availability of public financing sources and market conditions, would all impact the final outcome of the development. But TLI also understood that the combination of Treehouse Foundation’s vision and commitment and Beacon Communities experience and dedication would result in a unique and very important community at Easthampton Meadow. Based on the overall strength of the team and the innovative model proposed, TLI provided the financing necessary for the acquisition of the site.
Today Treehouse is a fully operating village with a range of services and support for the families and elders living there. TLI continues to support the development via a loan related to the infrastructure for the Phase II Homeownership portion of the community. Once the ownership phase is complete, Treehouse will become a truly multigenerational village dedicated to creating a supportive environment for children, an opportunity for elders and other adults to contribute to community life, as well as 100 units of new housing.